UT UT - Reed Jeppson, 15, Salt Lake City, 11 Oct 1964

[Satch]

This article refreshed my memory:

The Justice Files: Reed Jeppson simply vanished

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 Utah) – It is one of the oldest missing person cases in Utah. In 1964, Reed Jeppson left the house to go feed his dogs. He never returned. The case went cold after years …

www.abc4.com

It says that Reed once worked on a ranch in Wyoming, and grew found of a girl in Missouri

Satch

 

[Satch]

A question and expanding on a theory

When you are a Mormon, and especially are affiliated with the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church are you "automatically" expected (if you are able-bodied and sound-minded) to travel and do "The Lords Work" from the teem years onward, with potentially severe repercussions from the family and church if you do not? Combining that with Reed's Eagle Scout experiences, could it be that Reed became very stressed out about being a member of the Church, and did not want to do these requirements anymore? But, it was built in to the LDS and family dynamic as a mandate? Therefore the only option for him was to leave?

I can't see a devoted LDS member EVER believing that a family member would run away. The beliefs of LDS would never allow that to happen. I think Reed sought a natural desire to help people because he was raised to be giving and kind and was very outgoing. But according to LDS principles, I don't think that you can ever leave your family or leave the church voluntarily. And if Reed grew stressed out with all the traveling and beliefs and wanted to simply be a free-spirited teen, his only option in his mind, despite loving and caring for his family very very much, he had to leave.

If he confided in Jon that he had to leave the family because the stress of affiliation with the LDS church was too much for him, that would be the kind of thing that Jon could never share because that would shatter the expectations of what a Mormon LDS person was demanded to be in the families' and church's eyes. IF this was the reason behind Reed leaving, there is no doubt in my mind that Jon Jeppson will take this to the grave. And it would also explain why other family members are so convinced that "Our brother Reed did not run away." If my belief is true, you could see how the pain of this, if the family knew that Reed wanted out of the LDS church, would shatter their lives forever.

Satch

 

[Ciriii57]

@Ciriii57

Not sure if you're familiar with the Anita Drake (15, Ohio, 1963) case, but this is exactly what happened with her.
The whole time she was missing, her family believed she was kidnapped and murdered. Well, everyone in her family believed this but her little sister and some of her friends. She knew Anita had run away to escape an abusive situation that their parents had turned a blind eye to, and was alive. She let her family believe that whole time that Anita was dead, knowing she wasn't.
Because after her disappearance, Anita would call her. When Anita stopped calling year later, she had an idea something had happened to her sister, but didn't know what. She didn't pursue it. Turns out, she'd passed away from cancer. Anita's sister and her friends were going to take the secret to the grave until Anita's daughter discovered her mother wasn't who she said she was, figured out who she was, and called Anita's sister to ask questions about her. It's sounds like, even then, the sister was hesitant to tell her.
I'm going from memory here, so the case may have been updated since it first broke, but the point I'm trying to make is families will go to great lengths to keep a secret and keep their skeletons in the closet, in the closet, often to the detriment of its most vulnerable.

No, I hadn't heard of this case, but I have just read about it, thanks for the suggestion. It actually clears up a few things for me as well. I kept wondering if it was actually possible for Reed to have started a new life that easily (new ID, name, etc etc) and now I can see that yes, it was perfectly possible. It also seems possible, as in this scanario, that Reed maybe wouldn't have made contact eith the family again.

 

[Ciriii57]

It says that Reed once worked on a ranch in Wyoming, and grew found of a girl in Missouri

Wow! This is all new information for me! Unfortunately I can't view the video as it says "unavailable in your country" figures! So I have never heard this before. Is there any more information about these facts or just these basics?
There are a couple of LDS owned cattle ranches in Wyoming on the Mormom Trail that were active in the 60's I see. Suppose he just loved the life of a cattle rancher!
But as for the girl he grew fond of...could we be right to assume that Reed had a girlfriend? Did he meet her while they were at the ranch? This new information is making my mind spin! Can we assume that it is possible that Reed was on his way to see her, perhaps running away to be with her? Remember what it's like when you are 15 and in love...that person is the only thing that matters and you are going to spend the rest of your life with them and can't bear to be seperated! well, that would certainly explain why Salt Lake LE informed Kansas City LE to be on the look out!

When you are a Mormon, and especially are affiliated with the Latter Day Saints (LDS) Church are you "automatically" expected (if you are able-bodied and sound-minded) to travel and do "The Lords Work" from the teem years onward, with potentially severe repercussions from the family and church if you do not?

Looking into this, the short answer would appear to be "no", you don't have to become a missionary, it is not a requirement. However, the long asnswer is definitely "yes". Members are "strongly encouraged" (for this I would tend to read "pressured") into becoming a missionary. If all of my family and friends had done or were planning to do missionary work and I chose not to, I can imagine I would pretty much be treated as an outcast. The pressure from the community to do missionary work must be huge. I feel like back in the 60's it could have been even more acute...almost a sense of shame.
What I hadn't realised were the rules regarding personal relationships and communications. I have included the links below to the Missionary Hanbook if anyone is interested, but basically I have bulletpointed the ones which would seem most significant to Reed if we think that he may have had issues at home and maybe also a girlfriend:

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ: Supplemental Information

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ: Supplemental Information

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

• Single missionaries are prohibited from dating or courting while serving missions
• While missionaries may interact with members of the opposite sex, they may never be alone with them or engage in any kind of intimate physical or emotional activity (e.g., kissing, hugging, holding hands, flirting).
• Missionaries are admonished to "avoid all forms of worldly entertainment."
• They are not permitted to watch television, listen to the radio, watch or go to movies
• They are not permitted to listen to music that has romantic lyrics or overtones, or merely entertains.
• Missionary companions are instructed to stay together at all times and not to go out of the hearing of their companion's voice or out of sight
• Missionaries do not go on vacation and, prior to February 2019, were permitted to telephone their parents only on Christmas Day, and one other day of the year, usually Mothers' Day.

I mean wow...for a teenager growing up in the 60's who was just getting into their football and maybe girls too this sounds like not alot of fun!

If he confided in Jon that he had to leave the family because the stress of affiliation with the LDS church was too much for him, that would be the kind of thing that Jon could never share because that would shatter the expectations of what a Mormon LDS person was demanded to be in the families' and church's eyes. IF this was the reason behind Reed leaving, there is no doubt in my mind that Jon Jeppson will take this to the grave. And it would also explain why other family members are so convinced that "Our brother Reed did not run away." If my belief is true, you could see how the pain of this, if the family knew that Reed wanted out of the LDS church, would shatter their lives forever.

I can see this too. It's not unheard of at all for Mormons to run away from a stifling life of rules and regulations, in fact I think it is quite common for LDS teens to leave and have very little contact with family members afterwards.

JMO and we can never be sure but if Reed was also suffering some difficulty within the family then it probably wouldn't be so difficult for him to leave and break off contact (I refer back to his father's suicide...potentially guilt-ridden?).

Ok ..I literally just found this statament by Reed's brother:
Keith Jeppson doesn't think Reed would have run away out of anger.
"After 45 years, the anger would dissipate and he would come back," he said. "After one year. After six months."

PorchlightUSA-1964 Jeppson, Reed 10-11-1964

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/25/1 ... -reopened/ May 25, 2010 1964 cold case reopened Posted: 08:17 PM ET Gabriel Falcon AC360° Writer A 45-yea

www.tapatalk.com

What anger? Who said anything about anger? Is he saying that Reed was pissed at something? This is the first time I have ever heard this before. The page linked seems to have alot of information that I have never read before; for example I never knew that Reed's older brother Taylor had borrowed money from him the Saturday before to take his wife on a date. Why did Reed have so much money? I don't think a paper route pays that well!

Jon would be the most likely person for Reed to reveal his plans to and I agree with you @Satch in that Jon was unlikely to ever reveal this for fear of the shame it would bring. Unless of course Jon did tell his father and that was what caused him to take his own life. Jon having knowlege would explain some things like his odd version of events, seemingly trying to adjust the timeline and why LE were so interested in him.

I really, really want to believe that Reed ran away, maybe to be with his girlfriend in Missouri, changed his name and has lived a happy and fulfilled life somewhere. Maybe he had kept a limited contact with Jon over the years. I love the thought of him raising some kids and some dogs on a ranch somewhere!
But I also have to be realistic. A 15 year old runaway who had lived a relatively sheltered life in Utah would present a very vulnerable target. I think it could be worthwhile to recheck UIDs in Utah, Missouri and the states in between especially since there is DNA on file. Maybe even the unidentified victims of serial killers.

Just a question that has been bugging me that maybe someone can answer: Regarding Reed's braces, if Reed needed to have them removed then would any dentist do this without having Reed's dental charts? Or could Reed sign up with another dentist no questions asked and continue with the corrective treatment? I am assuming that LE must have Reed's dental records on file as well?

 

[Satch]

Wow! This is all new information for me! Unfortunately I can't view the video as it says "unavailable in your country" figures! So I have never heard this before. Is there any more information about these facts or just these basics?
There are a couple of LDS owned cattle ranches in Wyoming on the Mormom Trail that were active in the 60's I see. Suppose he just loved the life of a cattle rancher!
But as for the girl he grew fond of...could we be right to assume that Reed had a girlfriend? Did he meet her while they were at the ranch? This new information is making my mind spin! Can we assume that it is possible that Reed was on his way to see her, perhaps running away to be with her? Remember what it's like when you are 15 and in love...that person is the only thing that matters and you are going to spend the rest of your life with them and can't bear to be seperated! well, that would certainly explain why Salt Lake LE informed Kansas City LE to be on the look out!


Looking into this, the short answer would appear to be "no", you don't have to become a missionary, it is not a requirement. However, the long asnswer is definitely "yes". Members are "strongly encouraged" (for this I would tend to read "pressured") into becoming a missionary. If all of my family and friends had done or were planning to do missionary work and I chose not to, I can imagine I would pretty much be treated as an outcast. The pressure from the community to do missionary work must be huge. I feel like back in the 60's it could have been even more acute...almost a sense of shame.
What I hadn't realised were the rules regarding personal relationships and communications. I have included the links below to the Missionary Hanbook if anyone is interested, but basically I have bulletpointed the ones which would seem most significant to Reed if we think that he may have had issues at home and maybe also a girlfriend:

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ: Supplemental Information

Missionary Standards for Disciples of Jesus Christ: Supplemental Information

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

• Single missionaries are prohibited from dating or courting while serving missions
• While missionaries may interact with members of the opposite sex, they may never be alone with them or engage in any kind of intimate physical or emotional activity (e.g., kissing, hugging, holding hands, flirting).
• Missionaries are admonished to "avoid all forms of worldly entertainment."
• They are not permitted to watch television, listen to the radio, watch or go to movies
• They are not permitted to listen to music that has romantic lyrics or overtones, or merely entertains.
• Missionary companions are instructed to stay together at all times and not to go out of the hearing of their companion's voice or out of sight
• Missionaries do not go on vacation and, prior to February 2019, were permitted to telephone their parents only on Christmas Day, and one other day of the year, usually Mothers' Day.

I mean wow...for a teenager growing up in the 60's who was just getting into their football and maybe girls too this sounds like not alot of fun!



I can see this too. It's not unheard of at all for Mormons to run away from a stifling life of rules and regulations, in fact I think it is quite common for LDS teens to leave and have very little contact with family members afterwards.

JMO and we can never be sure but if Reed was also suffering some difficulty within the family then it probably wouldn't be so difficult for him to leave and break off contact (I refer back to his father's suicide...potentially guilt-ridden?).

Ok ..I literally just found this statament by Reed's brother:
Keith Jeppson doesn't think Reed would have run away out of anger.
"After 45 years, the anger would dissipate and he would come back," he said. "After one year. After six months."

PorchlightUSA-1964 Jeppson, Reed 10-11-1964

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/25/1 ... -reopened/ May 25, 2010 1964 cold case reopened Posted: 08:17 PM ET Gabriel Falcon AC360° Writer A 45-yea

www.tapatalk.com

What anger? Who said anything about anger? Is he saying that Reed was pissed at something? This is the first time I have ever heard this before. The page linked seems to have alot of information that I have never read before; for example I never knew that Reed's older brother Taylor had borrowed money from him the Saturday before to take his wife on a date. Why did Reed have so much money? I don't think a paper route pays that well!

Jon would be the most likely person for Reed to reveal his plans to and I agree with you @Satch in that Jon was unlikely to ever reveal this for fear of the shame it would bring. Unless of course Jon did tell his father and that was what caused him to take his own life. Jon having knowlege would explain some things like his odd version of events, seemingly trying to adjust the timeline and why LE were so interested in him.

I really, really want to believe that Reed ran away, maybe to be with his girlfriend in Missouri, changed his name and has lived a happy and fulfilled life somewhere. Maybe he had kept a limited contact with Jon over the years. I love the thought of him raising some kids and some dogs on a ranch somewhere!
But I also have to be realistic. A 15 year old runaway who had lived a relatively sheltered life in Utah would present a very vulnerable target. I think it could be worthwhile to recheck UIDs in Utah, Missouri and the states in between especially since there is DNA on file. Maybe even the unidentified victims of serial killers.

Just a question that has been bugging me that maybe someone can answer: Regarding Reed's braces, if Reed needed to have them removed then would any dentist do this without having Reed's dental charts? Or could Reed sign up with another dentist no questions asked and continue with the corrective treatment? I am assuming that LE must have Reed's dental records on file as well?

Also the first time I have heard anger mentioned in this case. Or that his brother Taylor had borrowed money from him. New discoveries here!

Satch

 

[Alleykins]

Interesting finds. I'm not surprised Reed had money saved. Between his paper route and dog breeding, and probably having few other expenses, I'm not surprised. A buck stretched a lot further back then. He sounded like an entrepreneurial, independent, responsible young man.
As unlikely as it may seem to some, I see no reason he couldn't make it on his own if he wanted to run away. It could be why he brought two dogs with him.
Was it the summer of 64 he worked at the ranch?

 

[Satch]

My thought with the new information that @Ciriii57 discovered. (Thank you!)

I believe the following:

1.) Jon knew where Reed was going, or intended to go that day and Reed swore him to secrecy. The activity that Reed needed to do was likely something of which the family would disapprove.

2,) With Reed taking his savings account money with him, $60 in 1964, is almost $500 in 2023, He was going someplace that to him was a big deal, it was important. Many reports don't even mention the savings account money, but I believe the article that mentions this.

3.) Jon's account of many things is not credible, because he says things that are a direct contradiction to Suzanne's account and published reports, I watched the video parts where he talks about Reed's disappearance, and his father's suicide. There is no emotion in this man at all!

4.) I believe that Jon knows a lot more than he is telling about Reed's vanishing. He's very good at "selective forgetting." Going in to great detail about his love and commitment to his church and life's commitments. But he gets his brother's year of his disappearance wrong at first. No one would do that! He is hiding something.

5.My percent feelings on what happened to Reed. It's now 40% abduction/killed. 40% He ran away on his own, and 20% accident.

@Ciriii57 What do you make of the animal bones found about a half a mile from Reed's house in what I think was around 2010? Suzanne thinks they were from Reed's dogs.

Satch

 

[Ciriii57]

What do you make of the animal bones found about a half a mile from Reed's house in what I think was around 2010? Suzanne thinks they were from Reed's dogs.

Hey @Satch Regarding the animal bones, to be honest I had thought the FBI had ruled that they didn't belong to dogs a few months after they were discovered? Have I read that wrongly? If they were bones of a big and small dog then they must have been Reed's and I would have assumed that was enough evidence of foul play to kick start the investigation, but it kind of just stalled so I guessed it was nothing. I suppose lots of animals could die down in a creek. The 1 thing that did puzzle me about this whole thing was when the detective said "we can't say why this location, but enough of a tip was recieved to make it worthwhile to dig" (from memory). I wondered why he couldn't say the location? I thought maybe it was part of someone's yard and they, or the previous owners of the house, were potential suspects..but with all the filming the location became pretty clear anyway later.

Regarding your 5 points in your last post-I am in total agreement with you on all of them, especially Jon's total lack of emotion! Along these lines I am thinking Reed either successfully left home, or he was "prevented" from leaving somehow in which case his remains probably never left Salt Lake City.

So what would be the next step do you think? I wish we had someone on here who knew the family or went to school with Reed or just anyone with some background information. I really think a key to this is to discover more about what HAD BEEN going on in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. Do you think there would be someone to reach out to? Maybe East High School has a group for alumni or something like that?

 

[cocomod]

To be perfectly honest, I don't think Reed ran away at 15 because he didn't want to serve and LDS mission. In 1964, a missionary would serve from 19-21. Also, many, many, many young men do not and did not serve missions. Some may feel the pressure and leave home, but they would leave home at 18, not at 15. To me, this angle doesn't make sense. I was raised LDS and only two of my four brothers served a mission.

I do think he left to meet someone. My curiosity is what was this meeting about?! Was he buying a present for a family member?

I think there is a possibility of him running away, but possibly it was with someone who promised him something. Possibly he ran away and would have contacted his family, but maybe he was held against his will once he willingly left home. There were cults even in the 60's that could lure young people in.

 

[Ciriii57]

To be perfectly honest, I don't think Reed ran away at 15 because he didn't want to serve and LDS mission. In 1964, a missionary would serve from 19-21. Also, many, many, many young men do not and did not serve missions. Some may feel the pressure and leave home, but they would leave home at 18, not at 15. To me, this angle doesn't make sense. I was raised LDS and only two of my four brothers served a mission.

I do think he left to meet someone. My curiosity is what was this meeting about?! Was he buying a present for a family member?

I think there is a possibility of him running away, but possibly it was with someone who promised him something. Possibly he ran away and would have contacted his family, but maybe he was held against his will once he willingly left home. There were cults even in the 60's that could lure young people in.

Hey @cocomod thanks for the insight! One of the problems I think we've had is that none of us have any experience or real knowledge of the LDS church so we may have made alot of incorrect assumptions, for which I apologise if so. I'm thrilled to be able to talk to someone who has firsthand experience.
It's late here now but would you mind if I asked you some questions tomorrow here, I think your insight would be invaluable. Maybe then we can separate out the fact that Reed was a Mormon from his disappearance; which at the moment is something we do keep coming back to, maybe wrongly.
Thanks

 

[Ciriii57]

<modsnip - quoted post and response removed>

Regarding the previous post regarding Reed's being unlikely to have run away at 15 because of going on a mission, it is a valid point. It is possible that I have gotten bogged down and placed too much emphasis on Reed being an LDS member when this may not be relevant to his disappareance (I still think it is very relevant to Reed and his family's background though and building up a picture of him and his surroundings). However, even if we ignore the religious aspect of Reed's life, we are still left with exactly the same points that need an explanation (Jon's version of events, father's suicide, potential gitlfriend...you all know the points). So on the whole, I do think it is important to consider Reed and his family's view of thr world when discussing these things.

 

[Valiant]

When one thinks of the runaway theory, it would have been easier back then to establish a new identity. You can't do anything today without an SSN, but Reed probably didn't even have one at age 15. And getting an SSN with "fake" credentials was easier back then.
I doubt he ran away and survived, but it would have been easier then than now.

 

[Alleykins]

When one thinks of the runaway theory, it would have been easier back then to establish a new identity. You can't do anything today without an SSN, but Reed probably didn't even have one at age 15. And getting an SSN with "fake" credentials was easier back then.
I doubt he ran away and survived, but it would have been easier then than now.

Anita Drake, the same age as Reed, ran away from Ohio a year before Reed did, and managed to survive just fine with an assumed identity. If she can do it as a 15 year old girl, I don't see why any determined teen at that age, during that era, couldn't.

ETA Charley Project link for Anita for citation:

Anita Kay Drake – The Charley Project

 

[Satch]

<modsnip - quoted post was removd>

It sounds like their devotions to traveling and helping people with community efforts, where just as strong as their devotion to the LDS Church. But @Ciriii57 raises a great point. We can not assume that the church automatically played a role in Reed's leaving. The shortest distance between two points is often the most logical, and what we have as a general consensus is the following: (The sad part)

Reed Jeppson left his home sometime between 12:15-12:30 PM on Sunday, October 11, 1964, to go out to feed and walk his dogs. He was likely carrying $60 of savings account money with him, leaving everything else at home. He appeared to be going out to meet someone and was never seen or heard from again. Either he suffered a tragic fate, where whatever he had to do that day resulted in his death or something was strongly on his mind where he had to leave home (family, church. possible girlfriend, or maybe not? could Reed have been bullied? gay? or bisexual?) The sexuality feelings would certainly not be well received by the family in 1964, if those were Reed's reasons for leaving.

We also have Jon Jeppson's statements of recent that are a direct contradiction to the original published reports from LE and his sister Suzanne Tate regarding the time line of Reed's activities for that day, and very apathetic, (lack of emotion) responses when talking about Reed's disappearance or his father's suicide. @Ciriii57 and I strongly believe that Reed confided in Jon as to where he was going that afternoon, and it was to a place where his family would of strongly disapproved. We think Reed swore Jon to secrecy. These two were more than brothers, they were soul mates. I think Jon might hold a key to the mystery of this case!

Satch

 

[cocomod]

I agree that if he had any bi-sexual or gay feelings in 1964, it would no have been easy for him to handle. This would have been a point of contention in his family and in his mind as a member of the LDS church, but even just because of the time. I so wonder if his family knows more than we have heard as public members.

 

[cocomod]

Hey @cocomod thanks for the insight! One of the problems I think we've had is that none of us have any experience or real knowledge of the LDS church so we may have made alot of incorrect assumptions, for which I apologise if so. I'm thrilled to be able to talk to someone who has firsthand experience.
It's late here now but would you mind if I asked you some questions tomorrow here, I think your insight would be invaluable. Maybe then we can separate out the fact that Reed was a Mormon from his disappearance; which at the moment is something we do keep coming back to, maybe wrongly.
Thanks

I would be happy to answer any questions about the religion and how it might have played a factor in his disappearance.

 

[chart75]

Hi everyone! Love everyone's dedication here....it really gets to me that this beautiful soul is still unfound. I just wanted to make a few observations based on everything I have read.

1) Regarding the distance and time it would take to walk from Browning Avenue to St Mary of The Wasatch school, according to Google Maps it would be approximately 40 mins to walk. I personally think it would be quicker, the distance is about the same as I walk to work everyday and it takes me 15-20 mins (and I am 40!) However, back then I believe that there were many fewer houses and roads as you got closer to the school and so Reed could probably just walk across open country and not need to follow the roads which would make it much quicker. In this case, if the sighting at the school was correct, I think it is not impossible that he could have made it there and intended to be back in "about thirty mins" ...I doubt he was being overly specific when he told his sister half-an-hour.

2)I can't work out if Reed was going to feed or walk the dogs. I've read alot and I'm still none the wiser...IF he was only going to feed the dogs then that means he disappeared in the vicinity of his home. I am assuming the dogs were kept somewhere in the back yard of the property, which seemed to have a lot of land out back. Assuming that when he fed the dogs he also let them out for a run....this makes me think that Emigration Creek could be a more significant place to be searching. It runs right round the back of Reed's house. What was it like in October, was there alot of water, any danger spots? @chart75 can you help with this? What was the creek like, could someone feasably have an accident or get abducted from the creek area behind the Jeppson's house?

@Ciriii57 Sorry, for some reason I didn't get a notification when you posted this so I'm late responding.

Re: #1, Reed was spotted by a witness on Wasatch Drive which is about 2000 feet west of St Mary's of the Wasatch. No one has ever said who the witness was that spotted Reed, but I don't see how they could have positively identified Reed if he was really that far away. Did they mean they saw Reed in the direction of St Mary's of the Wasatch? (BBM) Wasatch Drive was about a 12 minute walk from Reed's house when Reed was a boy. There was also an Indian Hills School in the same general vicinity as Wasatch Drive. Could the witness have confused the two schools, or where they say they saw Reed? We'll apparently never know. Reed could have taken his dogs towards St Mary's for 15 minutes, turned back around, and been home in 30 minutes in time for dinner.

Re: #2 Emigration Creek is more of a creek than a river in October and would have been very shallow. I'm sure it's raging today with all of their snow melt, but it would not have been that way that late in the year.

There's are differing accounts on whether Reed had the $60 on him or not. There was previous discussion that maybe Reed had been lured by a perp that offered to sell him something (an expensive shotgun to bird hunt?) at a discount, so maybe Reed had taken his money but didn't disclose to his family he was going out to buy something. You have to remember Blue Laws were in effect back then, and shopping was greatly frowned on in Salt Lake on Sunday in the 60's, especially by the Mormon church.

I don't think Jon knows anything about Reed's disappearance. People remember things differently, especially over time, thus the contradictions. The detective seemed satisfied with Jon's answers and to my knowledge, never interviewed him again. Some people just don't show emotion. One of Reed's sisters was convinced than a pedo got him.

My gut feeling is someone kidnapped him somewhere between Wasatch Drive and his house on his way back home from walking his dogs. Perhaps one of his newspaper route customers? Maybe something will turn up with all of the historic run-off that Salt Lake is experiencing right now.

I'm curious about the dog bones as well. I've read that they were, and were not dog bones, so not sure which is correct. And where were they found? In a neighbor's yard, or in the gulley?

 

[Satch]

Hi @chart75!

Good to hear from you again! Chart has been helping us by studying maps around Reed's house and the locations where he might have gone. Studies of the creek, the gully, trying to asses how the location was back in 1964.

@chart75 Can you elaborate for us on why Jon's account of Reed's disappearance is so much different than Suzanne's account and published reports of the case? Jon says that he remembers the family having dinner (lunch) and than Reed going out to walk the dogs. When he first speaks of Reed's disappearance, he gets the date wrong. Do you see that as odd at all? I am just trying to get as many perspectives on this tragic case as I can! Thank you!

Satch

 

[Satch]

My gut feeling is someone kidnapped him somewhere between Wasatch Drive and his house on his way back home from walking his dogs.

I share that some feeling that this is what most likely happened. Or if he had that $60 on him. that business that Reed set out to do, led to him being killed. After reading Chart's update, my thoughts in Reed running away have lessened. I am now at the following:

30% kidnapped/murdered (Wrong place at wrong time) Reed did not take savings money with him.
30% murdered ($60 business deal turned violent and Reed was killed over that.) Heatbreakingly, Reed's life could have been sparred if he had not taken his money or gone to this place that day.
30% accident
10% voluntarily ran away.

Wow, back to everything almost being equally spread out Where do you put your percentages on what happened to Reed?

Satch

 

[Ciriii57]

Re: #1, Reed was spotted by a witness on Wasatch Drive which is about 2000 feet west of St Mary's of the Wasatch

Hey @chart75 nice to speak, I had read all your earlier comments on this thread avidly! Now, here you have given me some new information! I had always thought that Reed was last spotted "in the grounds" of the St Mary school (I thought I had even read "behind" the school). But it is actually the case that the witness was by the church but saw Reed on Wasatch Drive? That does seem far to make a positive ID? I had a quick compare between the old and new maps but I can't rrally get a feel for the road would have bee like back then. Can you enlighten us? Today it looks mostly residential, was it then?

I don't think Jon knows anything about Reed's disappearance. People remember things differently, especially over time, thus the contradictions

I know it is a possibility that his memory was not spot on...but there's still something about it that bothers me. I think because he remembers everything so well, literally detailed transcripts of conversations, but struggles with the events of the day and who was speaking.

My gut feeling is someone kidnapped him somewhere between Wasatch Drive and his house on his way back home from walking his dogs. Perhaps one of his newspaper route customers? Maybe something will turn up with all of the historic run-off that Salt Lake is experiencing right now.

As you have experience of the area, do you think it was possible for someone to kidnap him in this area in the middle of the day in daylight on a quiet Sunday? Or was it much less residential then so it could have been?
I have turned the kidnap theory over in my head and I have struggled to make it work with a stranger abduction. It just seems unlikely that someone would take that risk there and then against a young man who is always described as strong. The only way that I can think that Reed was abducted at this time and in this way is that he knew the person so was comfortable to approach their vehicle/house and was then forcibly taken. I have issues with this theory too though, namely the dogs! I'm pretty sure if they were quite close to home, they would have found their way back. I don't think they were taken or killed as I do believe the witness sightings of them on the roads (which I now assume to be Wasatch Drive).

could Reed have been bullied? gay? or bisexual?)

The sexuality angle would definitely be a reason, but I can't imagine a 15 year old in 1964 admitting any feelings like this even to his closest friend. It is however possible that he was suffering some form of abuse from an adult (coach, teacher, someone at church) and he had threatened to expose them, and in this way he definitely might have told Jon about it.
Also possible is the reason he had so much money on him was that he was being blackmailed by someone who knew something he didn't want revealed. Unlikely, but not impossible.
I have thought about the bullying angle too. I have wondered if Reed had gotten on th wrong side of someone at school, or possibly on the sports team, maybe someone who didn't appreciate him recently scoring the goal?